Process of tanning hides



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TILMON L GRAFTON, OF SIDNEY, ARKANSAS.

PROCESS OF TANNING HIDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,922, dated September 9, 1890.

Application filed March 8, 1890. Serial No. 343,158. (No specimens.)

enable others skilled in the art to whiohit appertains to use the same.

Heretofore it has required many months and sometimes as long as two years to properly tan hides to produce a strong, tough, and at the same time soft and pliable leather.

The object of my invention is to produce a soft, pliable, yet strong and tough leather by tanning it according to my process in a period of from three to fifteen days, according to the size and thickness of the hide and the kind of leather produced.

To carry my invention into effect all hides should be soaked in soft water until perfectly soft.

Lime the hides in the following way: Immerse them in a mixture consisting of fifteen gallons of water, six quarts of slaked lime, six quarts of ashes, and one pound of soda. You can always tell when to draw them by taking the neck of the hides up. If the hair slips easily,they are ready to draw, and you can then take the hair and flesh off of them. Then remove the lime from the hides by immersing them in a bate consisting of twenty gallons of soft water, one peek of wheat bran, two gallons of buttermilk, one-half poundof acetic acid (six per cent.) or strong vinegar, and three pounds of salt. This will free the hides of lime. You can tell when the lime is out of the hides by pressing them between the thumb and finger. If the hide stays as you press it, it is ready for the tan. Then submerge the hides in a tan ooze consisting of fifteen gallons of water, ten pounds of gambier, four pounds of salt, three pounds of saltpeter, one pound of acetic acid (six per cent.) or one-half gallon of strong vinegar. This makes good harness, upper, and skirting leather in from ten to fifteen days in cold ooze, and in ooze at bloodheat from six to eight days. All small skins will tan in the same from three to six days in cold ooze. For

heavy hides for sole-leather add to the above five pounds of hemlock or five gallons of strong bark ooze. In the said last-above ooze sole-leather can be tanned in from twenty to twenty-five days in cold ooze, and in ooze at blood-heat from ten to twelve days. This makes good sole-leather of hides weighing from fifty to sixty pounds. Always dissolve your gambler or hemlock in copper, brass, or tin vessels, as iron will blacken the leather. Now haul the hides, throw them in a pile to drain, letting the ooze drain int-o the vat. \Vh en properly drained, throw them on the table, wash with clear water, using brush or sponge. Set the hides out with a steel sleek in every direction on the flesh side, and then out on the grain side with a stone sleek. After they are well set out, hang them in the shade to dry. Then oil them on the grain side lightly.

To finish for upper, harness, or skirting leather, oil on the grain side and lightly on the flesh side and hang up to dry. hen half dry, set out well in every direction on the grain side with a glass sleek. Then mix oil and tallow in equal parts and stuff on the flesh side one-fourth of the thickness of the hide. Then hang in the shade to dry. lVhen dry, lay on the table and remove the stufling. Then take them to the whitening-beam and take a thin shaving off of every part. Then take them to the table and remove all loose particles of flesh. Then blacken with fleshblacking made as follows: To one quart of oil and one gill of tan ooze stir in one small paper of lamp-black. After this has dried in thoroughly apply a light coat of flour-paste. When dry, sleek off with a glass sleek, and they are finished.

For grain-blacking take one ounce of oopperas, four ounces of logwood, one-half gallon of vinegar, and a quantity of old iron mixed in an iron vessel. Simmer over a slow fire for a few minutes. Then set it aside. The longer it stands the better it gets. Then apply to the grain side.

For sheep-skins I make a paste of lime and ashes and spread it on the flesh side of the skin, and then double the skin flesh to flesh and let it lie until the wool will come off. I do this to save the wool. This preliminary step is only for sheep-skins.

For dressing small skins with the fur on or 01?, submerge them in an ooze consisting of ten gallons of water, two pounds of gambier, one pound of acetic acid, (six per cent.,) and two pounds of salt. Let them stand two or three days. The oftener you handle them the sooner they will dress. Oil 011 flesh side lightly. WVhen nearly dry, run over with a glass or stone sleek. This is good for strings or furs.

Having described my process, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The process of tanning hides, which consists in first immersingthe hides in a mixture consistingof fifteen gallons of water, six quarts slaked lime, six quarts ashes, and one pound of soda; second, removing the lime from the hides by immersing them in a bate consisting of twenty gallons of salt-Water, one peck of wheat-bran, two gallons of buttermilk, onehalf pound of acetic acid (six per cent.) or strong Vinegar, and three pounds of salt, and, third, submerging' them in atan ooze consisting of fifteen gallons of water, ten pounds of gambier, four pounds of salt, three pounds of cent.) or strong vinegar.

2. The process of tanning hides, which consists in firstimmersing the hides in a mixture consisting of fifteen gallonsof water, six quarts of 'slaked lime, six quarts of ashes, and one pound of soda; second, removing the lime from the hides by immersing them in a bate consisting of twenty gallons of salt-water, one peck of wheat-bran, two gallons of buttermilk, one-lialf pound of acetic acid (six per cent.) or strong vinegar, and three pounds of salt, and, third, submerging them in a tan ooze consisting of fifteen gallons of water, ten pounds of gambier, four pounds of salt, three pounds of saltpeter, one pound of acetic acid (six per cent.) or one-half gallon strong vinegar, and five pounds hemlock or five gallons strong bark ooze.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

v TILMON L. GRAFTON. Witnesses:

JOHN F. GRAFTON, ANDREW J. CRAIG. 

